Producing consumer electronics and in particular computers that might incorporate, in addition to operating systems with various configurations and suites of applications, several subsystems, each in turn with their own software drivers, can be complicated particularly in the context of “configure to order”, or “CTO”, since each individual order typically is different from others. Not only must a bill of materials (BOM) be defined, managed, and conformed to, but product defects and corrective actions must also be managed in way that ensures corrective action can be known and taken across the globe.
For example, many computers are sold on a configure to order/build to order (CTO/BTO) basis. Each software part can have a multidimensional relationship with each stock keeping unit (SKU) that represents a product when region, language, various operating system versions, and platforms are factored in. Thus, each software part can potentially have dozens of version releases to accommodate all of these variables. As understood herein, software management is further complicated by the desire of some users to upgrade or downgrade their software to run on higher or lower bit buses and by so-called “running changes”, i.e., changes to software that are made after the original software has been delivered.